pikkenix

Can't get my Dwarf Red to thrive in my greenhouse.
The few leaves it has "hangs" almost straight down from the midrib, and last week the midrib of three of the older leaves suddenly got a lot lighter.
It keeps pushing out pups though.

Might it be the change in temperatures over the day (gets around 75-85F as hottest during the day and down to 55-60F as lowest during the nights)?
Or could it be overwatering? Or some nutrient missing?

Some pics:

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Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

beam2050

is that 85 degrees in the greenhouse or outside? the leaves will fold over like that in the hot sun. those windows can intensify the sun right?

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

pikkenix

Temps given are inside the green house.

__________________
Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

pikkenix

Should I expect them to "unfold" during days without sun (they dont)?

__________________
Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

Hamakua

Try a shade cloth over the greenhouse in midsummer.

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Currently Growing:
Blue Java, FHIA 01, Gros Michelle, Dwarf Orinoco, Maoli Ele Ele, Maoli Manini, Maoli Dwarf Kaualau, Putalinga Kula, Iholena Lele, Iholena Ula Ula, Iholena Iholena, Iholena Kapua, Unknown purple leafed Iholena, Tuu Ghia, Tagomor, Luba, Kokor, Vunumami, Hapai

beam2050

should open in the evening or night time. how often are you watering?

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

pikkenix

Trying to water when the soil begins to get dry (but not to dry)... so depends on the wheater...


Edit: They dont open in the evening or in the night, or when there is no sun.

__________________
Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

beam2050

might be your problem water everyday while they are growing.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

pikkenix

So your guess is overwatering, did I understand you correctly?

__________________
Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

beam2050

no sir keep it wet. you I believe are severely under watering. water every day with a well draining potting soil. maybe mixed with perlite. and fertilize once a month..

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

edwmax

This could a number of things; under or over watering; under or over fertilizing; wrong type of fertilizer; or a problem with the potting soil which can impact the root's ability to take up moisture and nutrients.

The yellowing mid rib and necrotic outer leaf edges would seam to suggest a potassium deficiency. But this could be the inability of the roots to take up nutrients. You need to check the basics first to eliminate problems with the potting soil and fertilizer.

* check the soil Ph, this needs to be 5.5 to 6.8. Below 5 or above 7 is a problem.
* check the moisture level at the outer edge of the pot and at the corm; and at different levels of the pot. Very wet at the corm while the outer soil of the pot is dry would indicate a root rot infection of the corm.

Try misting the plant (not the soil) with water 2 or 3 's a day and give it a weak folar feed of fertilizer (for vegetables) every 3 or 4 days. If there is an immediate improvement, then there is a root problem.

I think from the picture, the pot is too small and can not hold enough water for the plant. The dry soil has cause you to water too frequently and root rot may have set in. So Beam's comments are not likely off base.

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beam2050

yes I am basing my assumption on the fact was that was stated, waiting for the soil to dry but not to dry. depending on the weather. some peoples not to dry I believe would hurt the plant in the long run. could be other things going on. one at a time to get it back on track. and since I am 3/8 svedish I want to help.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

pikkenix

Thanks for a great answer! Repotted now. The roots looked ok, but the soil was wet - to wet... mixed a soil with a much better drainage.

You're the most swedish person I can talk to about growing bananas! Not many banana growers walking around here up north ;-)

You know where your anscestors are coming from in Sweden?

__________________
Best regards
Daniel

Banana plants:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish, Musa Dwarf Red, Musa Siam Ruby, Musa Basjoo, Musa Rajapuri, Musa Dajiao, Ensete ventricosum "Mauerelli", Musa Dwarf Orinoco

beam2050

no idea where they came from. post some pics when it gets better. glad to help. not a lot of scandies here in florida either. those 50 and 60 degree nights will really slow things down to keep it warm. dwarf red is a beautiful plant. good luck.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

sputinc7

All said, Dwarf reds do like to droop in the daytime, at least mine always did. (It was in the ground in Florida.)

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If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

beam2050

after reflection I figure I should explain myself; you look at my hands and arms you can see they have been places they should not go. my fingers are so callused they feel wet when they are stuck in a glass of water.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

a.hulva@coxinet.net

My two cents is over watering and poor drainage. I have recently switched to Miracle Grow potting mix (Original in yellow bag) and perlite 50/50. Seems to be working. Good luck.

Tytaylor77

I agree the coloring at the leaf edges is a early sign of overwatering. Repotting should fix it. The plant should correct itself. Remember if the surface looks dry the corm could still be wet! It matters at the corm level.

The best way is a good potting mix. Al in the above post is a PRO! All the variegated AEAE's he has growing should make anyone listen! They are the hardest of any other Musa variety I've found to grow!
Any good potting soil mixed with 50% perlite works! I also use miracle grow yellow bag mixed also with 50% perlite with anything that goes in a pot! Banana plants love perlite!

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150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

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edwmax

This is a the reason one needs a long stem moisture meter and a Ph meter for potted bananas. You can't get your finger into the root ball under the corm and can only check the top inch of the pot by feel.

Potting soil needs to be a 50/50 mix of good commercial mix and perlite for quick drainage. ... A few months ago I potted several problem Truly Tiny corms into larger pots with 50/50 soil/perlite in the bottom 1/2 -2/3 of the pot and put the corm in course sand in the top 1/3. This was to keep the corm drier & airier; and allow the roots to grow into the soil below. These plants seem to be doing very well now and they are now producing pups.

Potted nanas are much more difficult than nanas in the ground. The problem is usually pot size & over watering. As house plants, the drier humidity is also a problem, thus the plants need daily misting.

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beam2050

I believe my meter is better suited to cactuses and house plants. they got one that the scale favors the wet side?

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5